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Pavel Durov is a Russian business executive and entrepreneur serving as the chief executive officer (CEO) of the secure messaging service, Telegram since 2013. Telegram is basically the WhatsApp if Eastern Europe.

Along with his brother Nikolai Durov, he founded the social network VKontakt, a Russian version of Facebook, in 2006, which quickly became the most popular social network in Russia before founding Telegram in 2013 and leaving Russia for Dubai.

As of 25 August 2024, Durov was the 120th richest person in the world, with a net worth of $15.5 billion, according to Forbes largely driven by his ownership of Telegram.

On 24 August 2024 Durov was arrested on criminal charges relating to an alleged lack of content moderation on Telegram and refusal to work with police, which allowed the spread of criminal activity. To this day, Durov remains in custody in France.

What’s next for Pavel Durov? Should he be on the Russian sanctions list? Tune in as the Decentralists discuss Durov, Telegram and Ukraine.

The Decentralists: Hot Topix – Russia’s Zuckerberg